Marshal Ahluwalia (left) and David Wong secured local body seats by winning a large number of votes in the 2025 local body elections. Photo: Supplied
In a sign of grassroots politics becoming more diverse, more than two dozen candidates of Asian origin won seats on local and community boards across the country in the 2025 local body elections.
The almost 30 successful Asian candidates to win a seat on local and community boards are in addition to the dozen candidates of Asian heritage who won seats on local councils in New Zealand.
According to final results declared on 18 October, 20 Asian candidates - from more than 60 contesting - were elected to local boards in Auckland alone.
Twenty-one local boards, each represented by five to 11 members, convene regularly in Auckland to discuss local issues. In total, 151 board members are elected each term.
Of note, Asian candidates swept all positions available on the Howick Local Board (Flat Bush subdivision) and Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board (Papatoetoe subdivision) in the recent election.
Peter Young, Kai Zeng and Krish Naidu have been elected to represent the constituents of Howick for the next three years.
Young and Zeng are both of Chinese origin, while Naidu has Indo-Fijian heritage.
Krish Naidu has been elected to represent the constituents of the Flat Bush subdivision of Howick. Photo: Fiji Girmit Foundation, NZ
Further south, four members of the Papatoetoe-Ōtara Action Team - Paramjeet Singh, Sandeep Saini, Kushma Nair and Kunal Bhalla - were elected to represent the constituents of Ōtara-Papatoetoe for the next three years.
As earlier reported by RNZ, police have received a complaint of electoral fraud in the area following allegations that voting papers had been stolen from letterboxes in Papatoetoe.
Rajesh Goyal, campaign manager for the Papatoetoe-Ōtara Action Team, said he was unconcerned by allegations of fraud, noting the candidates had campaigned hard in the run-up to the election.
Paramjeet Singh has been elected to represent the constituents of Ōtara-Papatoetoe for the next three years. Photo: RNZ / Blessen Tom
Asian candidates also pulled off a major success in Upper Harbour, with Sylvia Yang, Rebecca Huang, Selena Wong of Chinese descent winning half of the six available board seats in the area.
Uzra Casuri Balouch, who has South Asian Pashtun heritage, won a fourth term on the same local board.
Several other candidates of Chinese heritage were successful in their local body election bids.
Jack Tan won a seat on the Albert-Eden Local Board (Maungawhau subdivision), Jacqui Tay on the Albert-Eden Local Board (Ōwairaka subdivision), Susan Diao on the Henderson-Massey Local Board, Raymond Tan on the Kaipātiki Local Board, and David Wong on the Ōrākei Local Board.
Police have also confirmed they are investigating a complaint against Diao from a member of the public, who accused the candidate of interfering with or influencing voters.
A lawyer acting on behalf of Diao told RNZ the candidate categorically denied acting inappropriately during the election period.
David Wong received the highest number of votes of all Asian candidates standing for local or community boards at the 2025 local body elections. Photo: Supplied
Wong, attracting 11,521 votes to win a seat on the Ōrākei Local Board, secured the highest number of votes among Chinese candidates at this year's local body elections.
By comparison, Marshal Ahluwalia secured top spot in terms of Indian candidates standing for election, attracting 8451 votes to win a seat on the Manurewa Local Board.
Ella Kumar, who has been on local boards in Auckland since 2010 and was the sole Indian representative in local boards last term, was re-elected to the Puketāpapa local board.
Kumar secured 5534 votes, coming second behind Fiona Lai of Chinese heritage.
Ella Kumar was re-elected to the Puketāpapa Local Board. Photo: RNZ / Blessen Tom
Raewyn Bhana (Ngāpuhi), who is an Indian Māori, joins Ahluwalia on the Manurewa board, and completes the Indian representation in city's local government.
Outside of Auckland, the Indian community has also historically settled in Waikato and so it is perhaps not surprising that several candidates of Indian origin won seats on community boards in the region.
Mandeep Singh was elected to the Tirau Community Board (South Waikato District Council), Satnam Bains to the Raglan Community Board and Davendra Kumar to the Tuakau Community Board.
Meanwhile, Manvir Singh Mann was elected unopposed to the Eastern Community Board under Western Bay of Plenty District Council.
Marshal Ahluwalia secured the highest number of votes in the Manurewa Local Board election. Photo: Supplied
Further south, Asif Hussain was also elected unopposed to the Akaroa subdivision of the Banks Peninsula Community Board under Christchurch City Council.
Sunita Gautam won a third term on the Waipapa Papanui-Innes-Central Community Board in the Garden City.
Joseph Fullerton, a Japanese New Zealander, won one of two Waipuna Halswell-Hornby-Riccarton Community Board seats with 1255 votes.
Samantha Samuel, who is of Indian heritage, was elected to Selwyn District Council's Hawkins Community Board subdivision.
In Clutha, Anne Wai Chin Cheng was elected to the Lawrence-Tuapeka Community Board with 416 votes.
In the deep south, Andrea Young won a seat on Southland District Council's Stewart Island/Rakiura Community Board.
